Hey All,

Im new to the forum so bear with me,

Im looking to start upgrading my 2002 LT 2 door, with some aftermarket 4x4 stuff, first things first is tires and lift, which ill figure out a little later, what i need help with is my diff locker options

does anyone have experience or knowledge with front diff eaton Elockers, i know they are pretty new to the locker world, but with these blazers being IFS im scared to put a full locker in as i may go through front end parts like no tomorrow, i like the idea of the Elocker electromagnetic switch that engages at the flip of a switch, i don't hope to do hardcore mud bogging or 4x4ing...i just dont wanna get stuck doing things like driving to a hunting spot or hiking trail, and if i can select when i need the lock then i wont wear out front end parts, i guess what im asking is are they worth the money? do they break often? how reliable is the switch and actuator? anyone have any problems with them? or would you guys recommend something completely different? and is the Elocker even available for this size of blazer?

My truck already has that (what appears to be useless) G80 govlock in the rear diff, which is burnt out and doesn't work, im looking at a eaton limited slip differential for that, but i want to do my front diff first..

Any help is greatly appreciated

 

Spend your money on tires & the rear diff. Don't bother with the front for general offroading. Of course that's just my opinion.

 

The aluminum housing of the front diff on the Blazers and Jimmy's can't take the stress of a front locker, and you'll end up going through front end parts like crazy. Its been discussed quite a bit on the ZR2USA.com forum, and Dezertdimes.com.

Here's a link to a great writeup on how to build a hardcore offroad S-Series truck, and here's another. It talks about what to do if you really want a front locker.

Like Kyle (Swartlkk) said, you're much better off investing in good tires, and a locker for the rear unless you're planning on some hardcore rock crawling or mudding.

 

With the tiny 7.2" front diff your best bet for a front lock is to do a SFA. I know of two folks who put in a Lock Right up front and the first time they used them on a trail, both blew up the front diff.

Now, this was with 4.56 gears, which are quite a bit smaller than their stock 3.73 gears. And I'll go along with tires and rear diff to get you out of most anything except hard core offroading.

 

thanks for the fast replies guys, i appreciate the advice, ive done alot more research and i have to agree that putting a locker in the front for a first step is a bad move, i have a lift kit on the way as we speak, just a 2 inch body lift...then im going to crank my torsion bar with a key and put in shackles in the back with new leafs as mine are so worn and saggy they're bending the opposite way lol hopefull get a total of 4inches...not that ill be measuring but then i can get a set of 33's or 32s on 16's that are offset just to look a little wider and stable

i think for a locker in the back after i get that done i would still like to opt for the selectable locker, just because im not to keen on the clanging and noisy diff and chirping tires that result from the detroit lockers or similar carriers, Does anyone have any experience with the "Eaton Elocker" also does anyone know anything about a detroit "trueTrac" sounds similar to a limited slip diff except when one wheel starts spinning instead of clutch packs activating the opposite wheel there are these pins that slide into place to lock the axles then they unlock automatically again until the next time you spin, i haven't found as much research or reviews that back up the truetrac and actually have read that people are breaking them on off-road settings

anyways oneday ill look at putting in a solid axle and then put my locker in the front...one day...i can't imagine the possibilities of all 4 wheels spinning at the same time!!

 

The Eaton E-locker works great providing you engage it prior to needing it. It takes a couple of revolutions after pressing the button to fully lock up. If you are already in need of it and can't move, do not press the button and hammer on the skinny pedal.

No experience with the True Trac but I've only heard good things about them.

 

perfect, thanks for the help and advice, im going to go with it

 

I have the Detroit TrueTrac in the rear axle of my '96. I haven't taken it off road yet, but for daily drivability, you can't even tell it's there. It has very smooth operation.

I'm not going to put one in my front axle...don't need the headaches.

 

i always wondered if the front axle would hold up with stock tires and a locker, might be good for the winter